Mario Balotelli gave a rare interview to the BBC and Noel Gallagher, dividing the false stories from the true ones, his rapport with Roberto Mancini and Jose Mourinho.
Mario Balotelli gave a rare interview to the BBC and Noel Gallagher, dividing the false stories from the true ones, his rapport with Roberto Mancini and Jose Mourinho.
The Manchester City striker sat down with former Oasis star, huge City fan and friend of Alessandro Del Piero, Gallagher for Football Focus.
"If Mancini wasn't here I think I would never come here,” confessed SuperMario. As for Mourinho, “I think he's a great manager but he didn't understand me. He said that nobody could understand me but I think the only one who couldn't understand me is him, so it's his problem.”
When it comes to being the best player in the world, “I would like, but it's not only something you would like, it is something you have to work for.”
Recently both Mancini and Italy Coach Cesare Prandelli warned him to mature and hopefully settle down so he can prepare for Euro 2012.
“I'm 21 so I'm still young. I think already from last year I'm already bigger in my head. If you look at me from outside and don't know me you think I'm an idiot.
“When people talk about my business, my life, I'm really private. Maybe someone thinks I'm arrogant or something but it's just me.
“I don't care because they can say what they want. I'm a footballer so the most important moment is on Sunday on the pitch. They say a lot of stuff about me but they are just lying, they don't even know.
“If I go out in the street and one guy gets a picture, then someone calls the press to say Mario was there. The day after in the press it's 'Mario was there'. That's normal, I just walk in town like a normal guy.”
Balotelli admits he has had reason to be in the media, such as when he accidentally set fire to his house.
“It started like a joke. I was bored. I was with my friends and one of them was leaving. So I got one bin, but a metal one, to put the fireworks inside. Nothing was going to happen so I left the room and left the fireworks inside but didn't light them. I walked out and my friend went in the room and just started screaming. The fireworks were going off. They put out the fireworks in the toilet but just the curtain caught fire. That's it.”
He also captured attention with his T-Shirt that read ‘why always me?’
“It was to all the people who are always talking bad about me and say stuff that's not nice about me and they don't know me. I was just asking, 'Why always me?'”
Gallagher also questioned him about the many media stories about him, denying he gave £1,000 to a homeless man after winning in the casino, taking a boy to school to confront his bullies or going round dressed as Santa handing out money.
However, Mario did confirm his mother sent him to the shops for an ironing board and he returned with a quad bike, a Scalectrix and a trampoline, while he is allergic to “dry brown” grass.